Tag Archives: Italian Cars

Mk. 1 Mini Cooper S and 1973 Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Zagato spotted in Carmel, CA

September 16, 2014 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

In Carmel during Monterey Car Week, one of the best things to do to unwind after a entire day of chasing race cars at Laguna Seca is to find a nice spot on Ocean Avenue and take pictures of all the unique and exotic machines that come out to play during the weekend. Sometimes, while taking pictures, I end up with a two-for-one special, and when it’s a 1970s Alfa Romeo with Zagato lines and a first-series Mini, it’s hard to avoid attempting to get them in one picture. While the colors aren’t quite as striking as they might have been in their day, these classics stood out really well against the rip-snorting Ferrari 458s and Lamborghini Gallardos that dominate the evenings out here during the third week in August. Enjoy the photos of this original Mini and Junior Zagato, and take a good look at that license plate frame: “Kiss French, Drive Italian.” I concur. Continue reading Mk. 1 Mini Cooper S and 1973 Alfa Romeo 1600 Junior Zagato spotted in Carmel, CA →

Car Shows

Highlights from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Part 2

September 12, 2014 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Here is part 2 of our highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This was the first time a Ferrari has ever won best in show (see above), as well as a very uncommon occurrence where a post-war car takes the top honor.

Enjoy the photos of these incredible cars!

Continue reading Highlights from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Part 2 →

Uncategorized

Ferrari 550 Barchetta Spotted in Carmel, CA

September 8, 2014 ndubs77 Leave a comment

We caught this very rare Ferrari 550 Barchetta roaming the streets of Carmel during Monterey Car Week 2014. The owner was very nice and was happy to answer some questions about the car while he sat in traffic. Yet another great spot from our trip to California!

-Nick

Cars We've Seen

Lamborghini Aventador 50th Anniversary Edition spotted in Carmel Valley, CA

August 29, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

We found this epic Lamborghini Aventador 50th Anniversary Edition parked at the Quail Lodge, where Lamborghini was setting up their drive event. I hadn’t seen a 50th Anniversary Aventador until this one, and I must say it seems turned up to eleven!

-Nick

Car Shows

Highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Part 1

August 27, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

Here is the first batch of our highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was a great year this year, with loads of unique automobiles in attendance, including 16 of the 17 remaining Ruxtons (shown above). Maseratis were also featured this year for the marque’s centennial, as well as a stunning showcase of Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas, and some truly beautiful machines with coachwork by Darrin.

This is rolling artwork at its finest, so enjoy the photos. There’s much more to come!

Continue reading Highlights from the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Part 1 →

Cars We've Seen

Ferrari Testarossa Spider spotted in Pebble Beach, CA

August 19, 2014 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

At Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week, the adage I tend to go by is “Expect the unexpected.” This is never more clear when I’m spotting cars with Nick around Carmel or in the Pebble Beach Golf Links complex itself, as was this particular case. While walking around the street and shooting cars, I spotted this unusual white Ferrari convertible trundling down the lane. It was too wide to be a 348, being a convertible, I thought to myself “There’s no way Ferrari ever did a Testarossa Spider.” Turns out, that’s only partially true–Ferrari did make one Spider from the factory as a test car, Pininfarina and a few other coach builders stepped into the void and created customer cars during the Testarossa’s run. As a result, we have this Testarossa Spider, which was rather unusual and most definitely got our attention. There will be much more from Pebble Beach in the coming days. Continue reading Ferrari Testarossa Spider spotted in Pebble Beach, CA →

Cars We've Seen

Ferrari 458 Speciale spotted in New Hope, PA

August 11, 2014 ndubs77 1 Comment

I spotted my first Ferrari 458 Speciale yesterday in New Hope, PA while walking back to my car from the New Hope Auto Show. The show this year was somewhat mediocre compared to last year, and many cars driving by, like this Speciale, actually topped many of the cars inside the show. I thought I’d have to wait until later this week out in Monterey to see one of these new Ferrari track monsters, but I was stoked to see this one appear out of nowhere on public roads. Gotta love it!

-Nick

Opinions

Paul Walker’s soul wants you to sign this petition so the US can have Nissan Skylines

August 7, 2014 ndubs77 4 Comments

Petrolicious has put forth a petition to get the American government to change the DOT/EPA’s import rule from 25 years to 15 years. What this means is that instead of just being able to import R32 generation Nissan Skylines right now, we would be able to import all of the R32 and R33 generation Skylines, and even some R34 generation Skylines… as seen in The Fast and Furious movies. The rule goes far beyond Nissan Skylines, though. Just think of all the awesome cars in Europe that haven’t made their way over here to the States…. Audi RS2, soon to be Audi RS5 (B5 gen), BMW M5 Wagons, all of those wonderful hot-hatches, and even a first-generation PAGANI ZONDA.

This is really a petition to change a stupid law that needlessly infringes upon the freedom of American consumers to purchase whatever vehicle they want. It serves absolutely no safety purpose, given that all cars from 15 years ago are way less safe than newer cars. Even if you personally would not import a car, you should sign the petition out of good will to your fellow car-lovers, and in return, you will have the pleasure of seeing more beautiful Alfa Romeos roaming the streets. This change will only serve to improve everyone’s lives!

You can sign the petition HERE. All it requires is your name, email, and zip code. It take 2 seconds.

Let’s all use the power of social media to make the United States a better place!

-Nick

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Games

What would you buy for the price of a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster? Well, this is what Al thinks of that.

August 7, 2014 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

Nick’s gotten his posts up, so I’m going to show you what I think. Four and a half million dollars. I”m going to say that again. FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. I can’t even imagine that amount of cash fitting in a standard sized suitcase. The Veneno’s nice and all, and it is a tantalizing machine…but I can’t justify that price. It’s got the Aventador’s engine and a body kit (I know I’m oversimplifying things here). That’s enough for a house and a good number of very nice cars. However, this is about just cars, and the 24 cars listed below will do the trick perfectly for me. There’s a lot of overlap and a few of these cars are probably better off as trailer queens, but I plan on driving what I picked, whether it be to the grocery store, the track, or to work. There’s 24 cars here, and I’ve got a reason for choosing each of them. Here we go! Continue reading What would you buy for the price of a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster? Well, this is what Al thinks of that. →

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Games

What would you buy for the price of a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster?

August 4, 2014 ndubs77 2 Comments

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is a spectacular machine to be sure. In addition to the fact that it looks like a space-fighter only 9 examples will ever be made, making it one of the most exotic cars on the planet. I guess that’s why Lamborghini wants a hefty $4.5 Million to snag one of these bad boys.

But is it really worth that kind of money? I mean, if we’re totally honest here, the Veneno Roadster is really just a slightly upgraded Aventador Roadster underneath. It doesn’t have a ton of fancy technology or an obscene amount of horsepower like many of today’s hypercars that cost only a fraction of the $4.5 Million. I mean an Aventador Roadster costs less than $600,000, even if you load it up with all the crap, so what you’re spending the extra $3.9 Million on is just a body kit… an epic, change your trousers sort of body kit, but a body kit nonetheless.

That got us thinking of a question: For $4.5 Million dollars, would you have the Veneno Roadster? Or would you have other things that add up to that amount? And if you’d choose to forgo the Veneno, just what could be had for the same amount of money?

Continue reading What would you buy for the price of a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster? →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Petrolicious’ piece on the Ferrari 330 P4 gives life a new meaning

July 17, 2014 ndubs77 Leave a comment

I had goosebumps the whole time when I saw this video. The Ferrari 330 P4 is one of the most significant sports racing cars of all time, and this is the only remaining true P4 in existence. The other P4s were turned into Can Am cars, and Jim Glickenhaus owns the Ferrari 330 P3/4, the P3 that made the jump to P4 spec. So this thing is precious beyond belief.

This Petrolicious video will make your lust for the P4 almost agonizing in severity, because in addition to hearing its godly V12 howl, and seeing its timeless sexy looks, the owner tells us just how great it is to drive. Oh how I’d love for even just one lap in this car someday. Here’s to hoping…..

Car Shows

Fiat 600 Jolly at the Greenwich Concours

July 14, 2014 ndubs77 3 Comments

Imagine cruising down the Amalfi Coast in this funky little Fiat Jolly beach car. Steep mountains on one side, indigo water on the other, passing through colorful towns that reach up the cliff sides. It seems like something out of a daydream, but I like to think that Fiat built their beach cars expressly for such a purpose.

We saw this Fiat 600 Jolly at the auction during the Greenwich Concours a few weeks back, and it drew quite a bit of attention. With its flashy “salmon” color and its beautifully simplistic whicker seats, it is a car with a good balance of function and form. With its totally open design, this Fiat is a care-free car that is really only good for cruising around at the beach. It is a seriously focused leisure machine.

Enjoy the pics!

Continue reading Fiat 600 Jolly at the Greenwich Concours →